Umeboshi (salted dried ume plums)
Salted pickled plums
梅干し · Kishu-style salted, sun-dried ume
In the ume orchards of Minabe, in Wakayama's old Kishu province, families salt the June harvest of ripe yellow ume in crocks and then spread them on bamboo mats under the hottest days of late July, the doyo-boshi, before the plums go back into their brine. The result is wrinkled, intensely salty-sour fruit, the classic filling for onigiri and the red sun in the middle of a lunchbox of rice. This is a once-a-year project spread over about two months; the active work is about two hours. Do not cut the salt: below about 15 % of the fruit's weight the plums go mouldy, which is the most common failure at home. Chef's tip: use only fully ripe, yellow, fragrant ume; hard green ones turn tough and bitter.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 24
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb ripe yellow ume plumsunbruised
- 6 ½ oz coarse sea salt18 % of the fruit weight
- 2 tbsp rice vinegarfor wiping the jar and fruit
For red shiso (optional colour)
- 3 ½ oz red shiso leaves (optional)picked from the stems
- ⅔ oz coarse sea salt (optional)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Wash 2 ¼ lb ripe yellow ume plums gently, soak in cold water for 2 hours if they smell green, then pat each one completely dry. Pick out the little stem knobs with a toothpick.
30 minStep 2: Wash a 3 litre glass jar or crock in hot soapy water, scald with boiling water and dry. Wipe the inside and the plums with 2 tbsp rice vinegar on kitchen paper.
10 minStep 3: Layer the plums in the jar with 6 ½ oz coarse sea salt, finishing with salt on top. Put a clean plate or bag on top with a weight of about 2 kg.
10 minStep 4: Keep in a cool, dark place. Within 3–5 days a clear liquid (umezu) should rise over the fruit; once it covers them, halve the weight. Leave for 3–4 weeks.
Step 5: For red umeboshi, rub 3 ½ oz red shiso leaves with half of ⅓ oz coarse sea salt, squeeze hard and throw away the dark juice. Repeat with the rest of ⅓ oz coarse sea salt, then loosen the leaves in a little of the umezu, which turns bright red, and add everything to the jar.
15 minStep 6: In late July or August wait for a forecast of three dry, sunny days. Lift the plums out (keep the brine) and spread them on a rack in the sun, turning once a day and bringing them in at night.
20 minStep 7: After 3 days the skins should be wrinkled and soft with flesh still moist. Return the plums to the jar (with or without the brine for softer or drier umeboshi). They are good to eat after a month and keep for years in a cool place.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 10 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 2 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does umeboshi (salted dried ume plums) take?
- About 120 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 24 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of rice vinegar?
- Cider vinegar with a pinch of sugar, same amount.
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